Alum

Brian Jantz

Position
Assistant Professor
Affiliated Departments
Telephone
617-747-3069

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Brian Jantz, M.A., MT-BC, LPMT, is an assistant professor of music therapy at Berklee College of Music who has been active as a clinician, practicum site supervisor, course instructor, and researcher for over 20 years. He was part of the first graduating class of music therapists at Berklee in 1998 as a jazz guitarist, began teaching at the college in 2009, and earned his M.A. as well as full-time faculty status in 2017. He has extensive experience working and supervising within pediatric medical and psychiatric/substance abuse facilities.

Jantz is currently involved with research and clinical work at Boston Children’s Hospital on the neurology, hematology, and child psychiatry units. One of his ongoing studies is examining the effect of music therapy as procedural support for pediatric patients with seizure disorders during electroencephalogram (EEG) testing. Jantz recently co-presented at the American Music Therapy Association's national conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the Music and Health Innovation Challenge experience he had as a mentor and speaker for the first Music and Health Hackathon held by Berklee and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He will be co-presenting on the same topic at the World Congress of Music Therapy in South Africa in July 2020 as well as giving a separate presentation on self-care titled Walking the Talk.

Jantz is the current president-elect of the New England Region of the American Music Therapy Association (NER-AMTA) and the NER representative for the association's Internship Approval Committee (AIAC).

Career Highlights
  • Current president-elect for the New England Region of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA)
  • Current New England representative for AMTA's Association Internship Approval Committee (AIAC)
  • Practicum/internship supervisor and clinician/researcher at Boston Children's Hospital for the past 20 years
  • Practicum supervisor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's inpatient psychiatric unit
  • Former staff music therapist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Bourenwood Psychiatric Hospital, and the Community Music Center of Boston
  • Former director of music therapy for the All-Newton Music School and Brookline Music School
  • Former music therapy consultant at Boston College Campus School
In Their Own Words

"I want students to truly understand the potential they have to impact someone’s life in a very profound way through music, and I hope that this provides a new perspective on the power music has. It is important to help students really focus on what they have to offer, helping them recognize not only their challenges, but their strengths. I focus on helping students stay connected to skills they can already start to offer in a clinical setting while improving competencies and their awareness of new skills they are still developing."

"I regularly share clinical examples based on my own experience in the field as a professional and as a former Berklee student therapist. I think the students really can relate, knowing that I’ve been exactly where they currently are in their training."